Toothpick-vending machine.



W. T. BRADSHAW & W. E JOOST. TOOTHPICK VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAILZT, 1914.

1,132,239. Patented Mar.16,1915.

I I J In 1 K WITNESSES- a INVENTORS a Q a) William 274570057704 Wzlizom E c7005! 777a. JM I BY j ATTORNEY TNE uunms PE1'ER5 ca wAsl-lmcrolv, n. c.

V ILLIATJI T. BEADmZ-IAV AND "W'ELLIABZ 500. 31, 05 iIijiIiLAND, CA? 13812-2325..

TOOTHEECELVENBING EIACEINE.

Application filed March 27, 191-- To all ac/1.012 ii; 1. 2 (6 7] concern 3e it known that ve, vVrLLn-mr T. BRAD- srrAw and W ILLIAM tloose citizens of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invei d certain new and uselniproveinents in Toothpick-Vending achi es, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in ieceptacics of he single delivery type for matches, tooti picks and the like.

The principal object of our invention is to pro ride means for dispensing tooth piclzs to which the latter are held in a receptacle and only one delivered a a time through a suitable slot in the casing.

In our devic grooved roller is used to deliver a single article from magazine and carry the same to the point of delivery where a ovcl mechanism is provided for e some through a slot and holdion until taken by the user. 'ral our invention produces a new mechanism for effecting these reis simple in construction and effective in operation. The advantages of dispensing tooth piclrs *ith this apparatus are two-fold. In the first place the article can thus be delivered in a sanitary condition and in the second place only one is delivered at a time thereby very materially reducing the number required in large restaiu'ants.

li itl'i these and other objects in view our invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts as herein illustrated and described in the specification and as more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

VJ '"ence should be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification wherein,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the device having the casing partly broken away to disclose th interior mecha ism. Fig. 2

a view in section through the rear portion of the device. 3 is a top plan view with a portion of the lid broken away to disclose the operating mechanism. Fig. iis fragmentary sectional. View on the line Q-d Fi Denoting corresponding parts by the same numerals of reference, 1 is a box like casing having a top 2, sides 3 and ends a, to the latter of which are attached journals 5 wherein is pivotally mounted a shaft 6. In-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 827,745.

terniec into the length of this shaft is a roller '7 iaving plurality of longitudinal grooves 8 of such size that they are adapted to contain a single one of the articles to be dispensed. These articles are contained in an inclined chute 9 having its lower surface curved to conform to the curvature of the roller '7, its front and rear ends being positioned close the periphery thereof, and having one side projecting beyond the edge of the roller. Between this roller and one of the rigs a ratchet wheel 10 is attached to the shaft 6 having teeth the nurnber of which corresponds to the number of grooves 8.

The mechanism for imparting the intermittent forward motion to the ratchet wheel consists of a plunger 11 passing through the lid of the case and provided exteriorly thereof with a suitable knob 12. Within the case this rod is slidably mounted in the latari tened to the front 3 of the case.

Mounted on rod 11 intermediate the brackets 14: are collars 15 between which is secured a plate 16 having a rearwardly eX- ending arm 17, which fits in a groove 18 in the strip 18, and thus prevents rotation of the plunger and associated parts. The front end of plate 16 is provided with upturned cars 19 between which is pivoted a pawl 20, a d these cars are provided with a square shoulder 21 with which the back part of the pawl is adapted to contact and limit the upward movement of the same The underside of the ears are rounded which allows the pawls to move downward as the plunger rises and spring 21 returns the pawl to normal. The pawl is so positioned as to contact with the teeth of ratchet wheel 10 and the length of slot 18 is such that the downward movem nt of rod 11 moves the ratchet wheel on amount equal to the angular distance between two teeth.

A second pawl is secured to one side of the case and is adapted to prevent the cl: of tlie ratchet wheel on shown in dotted lines in Fi &.

Above the end of 2 1 is a slot 26 in the lid of the casing below which on either side thereof are springs 27 secured either to the underside of the lid or to supporting bars 28, and extending downwardly from the underside of the slot are plates 29 substantially the Width of the roller 7 and which form an angular passage adapted to direct the article into the slot 26.

Having thus described the various features of our invention its operation is as follows: The articles to be dispensed. are placed in the chute 9 and are fed by gravity onto the roller 7 and as the latter rotates a ingle one drops into the slots 8 as the latter inoi'es under the lower edge of the chute. lVhen the rod is depressed the pawl 20 contacts with one of the ratchet teeth moving the latter and the roller so to bring the uppermost slot 8 centrally under the opening 26. .il rt the same time the bar 23 is depressed and the ear is brought into contact with the end of the article which eX- tends beyond the roller 7, this ear being closely in alinement with the side of the roller-the article is caught therebetween and the opposite end projecting upwardly as Owing to the bent and peculiar shape of the bar suihcient spring is secured to allow the latter to accommodate itself to the thickness of the article and to keep the latter pressed tightly against the side of the roller. As the article is raised upward is directed into the slot by means of the inclined surfaces where it comes into contact with the springs by which it is held, after the rod has been released and raised by the action of spring 30. i

It will thus be seen that we have provided a simple and effective d2 ice for accomplishing the results set forth in the beginning of this specificat n and while we have illustrated and de ment of our invention thereof it will be understood that changes may be made in minor detail and construction of design without departing from the spirit thereof or sacrificing any of the advantages.

What we claim is:

l. In dispensing receptacle comprising a casing, a drum reroluhly mounted therein, an inclined chute having its lower end conforming to the curvature of said drum, one

bed the preferred cmbodiside of said chute overhanging said drum, a

plurality of grooves in the surface of said drum adapted to receive the articles to be dispensed, with one end overhanging said glOOVB, a pawl and ratchet mechanism for advancing said drum, an arm operatively connected to the rod actuating said ratchet mechanism, the end of said arm extending to the side of said drum and contacting with the end of the article extending from said slots in the surface of said drum, a feed chute for supplying the article to be dispensed to said slots, one side of said feed chute overhanging said drum so that the article overhangs said drum, a slot in said casing through which said articles are ejectfed, an arm-adapted to contact with the projecting end of said article and rotate the opposite end to extend through said slot and spring means for holding the article in said slot. V V

8. In a dispensing receptacle comprising a casing, a drum rcvolubly mounted therein, a pawl and ratchet mechanism for imparting an intermittent forward movement to said drum, a plurality of slots in the surface of said drum, each adapted to contain one of the articles to be dispensed, a feed chute for supplying the articles to said slots, one edge of chute overhanging said druni so that the articles as fed extend from one end of said slots, an arm attached to the plunger operating the pawl and ratchet mechanism, the end of said arm extending adjacent theside of said drum and adapted to contact with the projecting end of article as the plunger is depressed, an opening in the casing, guide means for directing the articles to said opening, and springs on each side of said pening to hold said articles;

tures n presence of two witnesses. V

' lVlllLlAld T. BRADSIULVV. V WlLLlAli f E. JOOST.

lVitnesses 'W, A. VSTOOK,

1%. M. Oyaszo.

in stiinony whereof we ai'liX oursigna- Co ies of this atent ma be obtained for five cents each, 0 addressin the Commissioner of ratents V 1 7 Washington, D. C. Y 

